


If You Can't Handle the Heat (Get Out of the Kitchen)

by Winged_Fool



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Michael and Rosa are bros, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23745181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winged_Fool/pseuds/Winged_Fool
Summary: Michael and Alex work at the same restaurant, but when Michael puts in his two week's notice, Alex doesn't handle the news well
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 13
Kudos: 84





	If You Can't Handle the Heat (Get Out of the Kitchen)

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted to my Tumblr on January 25. I edited it, added a little more to it, and decided to post here. I worked in a restaurant for about a year but was mostly front of house so please excuse any kitchen inaccuracies

The kitchen is already in motion by the time Michael steps into it for his shift. Rosa, the commis chef, is dicing vegetables at a methodically quick pace. Kyle, the line cook, is busy sorting the cuts of meat by quality while Liz, the pastry chef, is making fondant flowers for the restaurant’s dessert. Only the bartender, Maria, is still. Though only just, swaying on her feet to some silent song while she counts the bottles of wine.

Directing it all from the center of the kitchen is Alex, the sous chef. He’s barking out orders to his staff while furiously whisking at something, a sauce Michael thinks with a wince. Alex looks up and sees Michael just standing there. “About damn time, Guerin. I’m here doing your job for you,” he yells across the kitchen with a glare. Michael puts his hands up in surrender and walks over to his station.

“I just need to talk to Arturo real quick and then I’ll take over,” Michael says apologetically.

“Fine, make it quick,” Alex shoots back and hasn’t even looked up from his bowl of sauce.

Arturo is the head chef, but since Alex was promoted to sous, he’s been more hands off, preferring to manage the finances of the restaurant and leave the kitchen tasks to Alex. Michael knocks briefly on the office door and opens it when he hears Arturo call out to come in. They talk briefly, it’s more emotional than Michael expected and he’s sniffling by the time Arturo pats him on the shoulder and tells him to let Alex know before the end of the day.

Michael thinks it’s better to just rip it off like a band-aid so he heads back into the kitchen and bumps Alex’s waist with his own. “Jesus fuck, Guerin!” Alex snaps, “You could have made me spill this.”

Michael rolls his eyes, Alex is such a control freak when he’s in chef mode. “You got a second?”

“Obviously not.”

“Please, real quick?” Michael pleads.

Alex sighs dramatically, “Fine. Rosa?” Her head pops around the corner to their station, “Can you take over stirring this sauce until Guerin’s back at his station?”

“You got it, boss,” Rosa says with double thumbs up and slides into place.

They head out to the alley and Alex leans back on the wall with his arms crossed. “What’s so important that made you late and had to talk to me and Arturo?”

Michael stalls by playing with the lapels of Alex’s white chef coat, it’s still white but it won’t be for long. “You look nice today.”

Alex relaxes against Michael and uncrosses his arms to smooth back Michael’s curls. “That’s what you called me out here for?” Alex teases, already nicer now that he’s out in the sun.

“I never need an excuse to compliment you,” Michael smiles then continues, “I bet that sauce is going to be much better since I didn’t touch it.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re a great chef,” Alex smiles back and it’s the statement and Alex’s smile that makes Michael’s stomach knot up.

“Well that’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about…” he starts.

“Hmm?” Alex hums encouragingly, twisting a curl around his finger.

“I, uh, just gave Arturo my two weeks’ notice,” Michael blurts out.

“What?” Alex’s hand falls away from Michael and he’s looking at him like he doesn’t understand.

“You know this was never it for me. I don’t like cooking like you do and I don’t have the knack for it like everyone else in there.” Alex looks more and more closed off as Michael keeps talking.

“But what about us?” Alex asks a quiet voice.

“Hey, just because I’m quitting doesn’t mean I’m breaking up with you.”

“No, Michael.” Alex starts, a glimmer of hurt in his eyes. “But when will we see each other? I practically live here and Arturo is going to retire soon and then I’ll be head chef. This restaurant is my life.”

“My new job will have more set hours, we’ll just see each other whenever you’re off,” Michael knows he’s bargaining with a losing battle, but it doesn’t stop him. “Plus, you always have Friday off, we can always do something then.”

“Fridays are sacred, you know that,” Alex replies stubbornly, jutting his chin out, “It’s the only day we all go out, it’s practically a work requirement.”

Every night, after the back of house staff closed the kitchen, they’d all go out bar hopping. They’d karaoke at some bars, go to clubs to go dancing, all taking shots and getting plastered. The restaurant opened half-days on Saturday so it was the only day they could let loose. It was during one of those outings that Michael and Alex had first hooked up.

“But I could still join you guys,” he protests weakly.

“Sure, like Max? Jenna? Isobel?” Alex asks sarcastically, naming off other employees that had left and promised they’d continue to go out with them. They all drifted away eventually, exhausted by the end of the week from their new 9 - 5 jobs.

Michael feels tears welling up, “So that’s just it then?”

Alex shrugs and won’t meet Michael’s eye. “I don’t know, Michael.”

Suddenly Kyle is sticking his head out, “Hey guys, restaurant opens in 15, Arturo wants to have a pre-shift meeting now.”

“We’ll be right there, Kyle,” Alex calls and pushes off from the wall to follow him back into the restaurant.

Michael grabs Alex’s elbow, “Can we talk about this more later?”

Alex shakes his head, “When?”

He leaves Michael alone, a few tears fall and he angrily wipes them away. His stomach feels like a pit as he follows Alex back in, reality hitting harder than he thought it would.

* * * 

Alex gives Michael the cold shoulder the rest of the shift and even holds the grudge until the next night too. Everyone in the kitchen picks up on Alex’s more-than-usual sour mood and they all shoot Michael poisonous looks for being responsible for it. Michael ignores them and keeps his head down, taking his anger out on the different sauces he has to make. By the time 9:00 pm rolls around, there’s a bit of a lull in the kitchen so Michael goes out to the alley to get some fresh air.

“What did you do to Alex?” Rosa calls from her corner in the alley, waving around a lit joint. Michael stuffs his hands in his pocket and goes to lean on the wall next to her.

“Why does everyone think I have something to do with it?” He plucks the joint from her and takes a quick hit.

“Oh come on, Guerin. You two go out to talk yesterday and then he’s been in a piss-poor mood ever since.” Rosa snatches the joint back from him and holds it away from him.

“Alex is always in a piss-poor mood,” he mutters, kicking his shoe through the dirt in the alley.

“Don’t be cute,” she warns, pointing the joint at him. “Spill.”

He shrugs, “I told him I was quitting so he decided to break up with me. Said we won’t have time to see each other outside of the restaurant.”

“Well...He’s not wrong,” she muses, “I mean besides when we all go out and you two spend the whole time making out, when do you see each other outside of the restaurant?”

“We crash at each other’s places all the time.” Michael starts.

“From when you’re both closing,” Rosa interrupts.

“We grab breakfast together.”

“When you’re both opening.”

“We have lunch together?” Michael tries.

“When you’re both here, and it’s a quick one with our food,” Rosa points out gently.

“We go on dates.” Rosa gives him a look. “We do! Well once...when we were both scheduled off.”

“Oh baby,” Rosa sighs sympathetically. 

“I didn’t think it would be like this. I thought he would try to make it work.” Michael confides quietly. “Plus my new job will have more regular hours so we could just hang out whenever he’s off.”

“Does he know that?”

“Yes! But he didn’t want to hear more about it after I suggested we could hang out on Fridays instead of--”

“Whoa, Guerin. I’m on your side, but Friday nights are sacred. You can’t ask him to skip them,” Rosa cried.

Michael’s face soured, “Trust me, I got the message loud and clear. Whatever. He got all pouty and went inside before I could tell him more,” Michael replies, annoyed. “Kinda sounds like the ball’s in his court.”

“Ay Dios mio,” Rosa mutters, rolling her eyes.

“What?” he asks defensively.

“You’re both so shit at communicating. Just talk to him, you know he gets in his own head sometimes and assumes the worst. Maybe he thinks this is your way of letting him down easy.” Rosa suggests, puffing out a plume of smoke in Michael’s direction. He doesn’t respond, just continues sulking until she takes pity on him and lets him take another hit before shooing him back into the kitchen.

* * *

Michael comes in for shift an hour early so he can catch Alex to talk to him. It’s been ten days since he gave his notice and he only has four more before this ends and Alex still hasn’t wanted to talk. Rosa is already there, inspecting their delivery of vegetables and fish. She looks up and waves him over, “Hola wey, what are you doing here so early?”

“Trying to get Alex to talk,” Michael replies.

“You haven’t talked yet?” Rosa asks, surprised. They both look over to where Alex is talking to Arturo going over the daily specials. He looks more relaxed and he’s been in a better mood the past few days. “Because you’re definitely still fucking.”

He shrugs, “Don’t really need to talk for that.”

“Ay Dios mio, estos pinche idiotas,” she mutters. “Go!” 

“He’s busy,” Michael protests. Rosa shoots him a withering glare. “Okay, fine, fine.” He stalks over to where Alex and Arturo are still talking and doing inventory. “Hey Alex, do you have a minute?”

He doesn’t even look up from what he’s doing. “No. I’m busy.” Arturo gives Michael a sympathetic smile.

“Alex,” he practically whines.

Alex doesn’t respond and Arturo chuckles lightly, “Come on, mijito, put the poor boy out of his misery. You can spare a minute.” Alex whips his head up and gives Arturo a look of utter betrayal. “Andale, I can only spare you for a bit,” Arturo all but pushes them out of the kitchen.

When they’re out on the alley, Alex crosses his arms and glares at Michael. He groans, “Come on, man, I only have a couple of days left here. This can’t be how it ends.” 

Alex clenches his jaw and looks away. “You already missed Friday night, and you’re not gone yet.”

“If you had been talking to me, I could have told you it’s because I had orientation at my new job Saturday morning. It was a one-off,” Michael snarks and Alex’s glare just deepens. Remembering Rosa’s words about communicating better, he takes a deep breath. “I love you, Alex. I love your passion in the kitchen, I love your stupid stubborn ass, I love your snark and sarcasm. I don’t want to lose you, this, us.”

Alex relaxes minutely with every declaration of Michael’s love. “I love you too Michael.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Michael throws his hands up.

He rubs his hands up and down his arms for a moment before answering, “I just always thought we’d open a restaurant together. Write a cookbook or something. I didn’t know you hated this.”

Michael’s face softens and he pulls Alex into a reluctant hug. “That was your dream, Alex,” he starts and Alex sniffles. “My dream is just to be with you.”

Alex wiggles a bit in Michael’s hold. “I’m worried that when you leave, you’ll realize you don’t like me either.”

“Impossible. I like you a lot,” Michael pulls back and smooths down Alex’s hair then cradles his face. “You’re going to open that restaurant, write your cookbooks, and I’m going to get fat tasting all your delicious food.” Alex laughs softly. “Okay?”

“Okay,” he agrees, smiling.

“We’re going to be okay when I leave, better even.”

“Promise?” Alex asks.

“Always,” Michael replies and pulls Alex into a deep kiss. They pull away and rest their foreheads on each other’s, eyes closed, breathing the other in. They stay like that until Rosa calls them back into the kitchen.


End file.
